SS United States: the future brightens.

Those of you who live in Philadelphia have seen it before: the huge, decaying ship docked at a Pier 82 on the Delaware River across from Ikea. What's up with that thing? (it needs a lot of work) Who owns it? (Norwegian Cruise Lines) How long has it been there? (since 1996) Wouldn't it make a cool ____? (probably) Well, the latest news is good for those who want to see the ship restored. The SS United States Conservancy has received a $5.8 million donation from H.F. Lenfest, the former media mogul and Philadelphia philanthropist, and will purchase the ship from its current owner (who was in was in the process of accepting bids from scrap dealers to dismantle the ship) according to an article on philly.com.

The story was also covered by the Wall Street Journal in a video segment, which shows footage of the ship both in its original and current conditions.

So, what will the Conservancy do with the ship? They're currently accepting bids from investors, and ideas include a museum, restaurants, and retail. What do you think should be done? Whatever it is, it will be expensive, so unless there are a lot more Lenfests out there, it will have to be something profitable. Could this be the new site of the ill-fated Foxwoods Casino?